Atlético de Madrid have already officially presented three new signings at the Metropolitano auditorium. However, as Enrique Cerezo has hinted today, the transfer market is not over yet for the club. The latest to be announced was Julián Álvarez this week, surely the most important signing in recent years.
For now, the sporting management has several issues on the table to deal with before September. One of them is finding a defender for the left-footed side of the defence to make Mario Hermoso's departure forgettable. For more than a month, the favourite was David Hancko, but there is a cheaper and more accessible alternative.
Jaka Bijol, another alternative
Right now, the Metropolitano offices are still working to have the full squad as soon as possible. The signing of David Hancko is becoming more and more difficult due to Feyenoord's refusal to lower their financial demands. Therefore, options such as Jaka Bijol are starting to gain more strength in order to finish tiling the back area.
The Slovenian is one of Slovenia's biggest prospects, and is also an undisputed fixture with Serie A side Udinese. Journalist Sani Aouna has revealed that Atlético de Madrid are keeping a close eye on the player this summer. His price tag is said to be around 20 million euros, a more affordable amount than the one they are asking for David Hancko.
Jaka Bijol is not one of the main options for the red-and-whites, who have a very clear roadmap. The Slovenian is liked by the Madrid club, but there are other players ahead of them in case David Hancko leaves permanently. The Slovakian has trained and played friendlies with Feyenoord, making it clear that he could stay in the Dutch championship.
Simeone's options
In this way, Atlético de Madrid already has its eye on other targets that could reinforce the defence this August. One of them is Piero Hincapié, surely the most expensive option that the Colchoneros could take on in this market. The Ecuadorian is key in his national team and at Bayer Leverkusen, having a market value of 50 million euros.
The cheapest alternatives would be Aymeric Laporte and Lenglet, both veteran players, but with many differences. The Spanish international has just been a key player in the Spanish team that won the European Cup last month. For his part, Lenglet's best version disappeared years ago and, now, he is more of a complement than a theoretical starter.